Half-Price Volunteer Programs for Sept/Oct 2008

Be quick to end your year on a meaningful high!

Half price Volunteering in Brazil is only available on 2 and 3 week programs. To apply and reserve your place complete our quick online application now - Quick Application

Some things you could do:

If you like sport, particularly soccer - go here

Do you fancy teaching? - go here

How about helping kids? go here

Be quick before the half price offer is GONE...GONE...GONE....gon...go....g...g.....

Porto Alegre (The Joyous City) is in south Brazil, and is the state capital of Rio Grande do Sul.

Porto Alegre is an important economic and cultural city in Brazil which developed mainly through the work of immigrants, especially from; Germany, Italy and Portugal, and this strong European connection is evident today - although there are also strong indigenous and afro-brazilian communities present too.

We have many projects in Porto Alegre, and besides volunteering work the following places and buildings are well worth a visit...

Palácio dos Açorianos” (The Palace of the Azoreans)
Museum of Art of Rio Grande do Sul
Piratini Palace
Ilha da Pintada (Pintada Island)
Chico Mendes Park
Lami Biological Reserve
Guaíba Lake and the archipelago; comprised by 28 islands

Porto Alegre has a very efficient transport system and also boasts a very busy international airport.

Would you like to Volunteer in Porto Alegre? - We have projects in the following areas:

Conservation...
NGO Functions in Porto Alegre...
Teaching English...
Community Work Projects in Porto Alegre...
Teaching Skills to the Youth and Adults of Porto Alegre...

Apply - Volunteer in Porto Alegre...

Brazil Serie A

CARNIVAL FEB 2008

What will you be doing between

Feb 2nd through 6th 2008?

6 Nights - From Friday 2nd February through Wednesday 6th February (Carnival period is Saturday 2nd February through Wednesday 6th February)

6 nights of frenzied partying, 6 days of glorious sunshine - the ultimate , the best, the most famous of all Carnival's await's you. Do not delay much longer, as Carnival period in Brazil is booked-up very quickly, and accommodation can be problematic if you leave it too late.

You can book for Carnival in Brazil through Volunteer Brazil - check-out the Carnival Brazil page ;here: http://volunteerbrazil.com/myPictures/carnaval.html

You may choose from the following:

Carnival in Olinda

Carnival in Rio de Janeiro

Carnival in Recife

Carnival in Bahia

Please state your preference on your application form, you will find it here; http://volunteerbrazil.com/booknow.html

And finally - WHY NOT VOLUNTEER DURING THE CARNIVAL PERIOD - IF EVER THERE IS AN INSTANCE OF KILLING 2 BIRDS WITH ONE STONE - THIS IS IT!

Go here: http://www.volunteerbrazil.com/

Have a great day......

20% off all Volunteer Programs in Brazil...

Have I got news for you - Volunteer Brazil are giving a very, very generous 20% discount off all their Volunteer Programs in Brazil - the only stipulation is that you must volunteer in Brazil, Argentina, Peru or Africa before December 31st 2007.

Check out the available volunteer programs;here:

http://volunteerbrazil.com/projects.htm

BRAZIL TESTIMONIAL

Here is a recent (so recent, Chris is still in Brazil) testimonial about Volunteer Brazil's Street Children Project

In Chris' own words....

hey Alan things are amazing!

its amazing here and i would recommend it anyone .the kids are amazing and each of them is so happy and playful. everyday we play and have fun.

im starting to get the launguage aswell being constantly surrounded by it. its okay if someones talking directly to me but if their talking around me it goes over my head. but its okay tho because i know whats going on most of the time.

but like i said everything is amazing, the scenery, the kids and the staff are also really good. they really help me and help explain things if needs be. had a massive futsol tournament last night and im paying for it now. my feet are in pain but it was worth it.

am really enjoying my experience here just cant believe how quick the days are going. hope everything is well with you. and thank you for this, i cant describe how happy i am here.

Chris, Recife, November 2007 (Street Kids Program)

With a Little Help From my Friends

My name is Lacey, I am Canadian and volunteering with Volunteer Brazil in July of this year (2007).

For 5 weeks I will be volunteering at an orphanage in Recife.

I was born and raised in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Although I have grown up in Thunder Bay, I have spent a number of months overseas on school exchange, as well as personal travel throughout North America. It is not vacationing which I love so much as traveling to experience different cultures and languages. Having recently graduated from Lakehead University's Teacher's College and wanting to experience more of the world, I havedecided to embark on a volunteer adventure in Brazil.

I have been very fortunate with the life I've had here in Thunder Bay, and I want to give back to those children who have not had the privileges I have had. During my time at the orphanage I will be helping in the everyday lives of the children.

I will be providing them with love and attention, playing games and helping them get ready for school, complete homework, and teach them informal english lessons. I want to have the opportunity to share some things with the children/youth of Brazil, while at the same time have them teach me something about their diverse culture. I had no doubt that this is what I wanted to do once I completed school, and by helping meraise funds you can help me reach my goal. In total my 5 week volunteer placement will cost me approximately CAD $3000.00.

This is broken down into program fee (which includes language training and living expenses for the duration of the 5 weeks), flight, visa, as well as traveler's insurance. My goal is to raise as much of that as possible. I will be approaching friends, family, and local businesses in search of any type of support. I am asking for funds; however, I will also be accepting services and donations which may help in my fundraising goals.

I am in the process of setting up a number of fundraising projects which will soon be posted on this site.

Thank you for your support!

Fundraising Events:

Yard Sale @ Evangel Church (Thunder Bay) on Saturday 5th May...

Car Wash @ Jones and Associates (Thunder Bay), day and time to be arranged...

BBQ, location, day and time to be arranged...

Ongoing fundraisers:

Mom's Pantry sales (please contact me for more information on how to order)Flower Pens ($3-on sale throughout the community)

Thank you to my sponsors...

Cozy Corner Store.

Jones and Associates Insurance.

Contact me: Lacey Dagenaisemail: lacey@volunteerbrazil.com

AS MAD

AS A MARCH HARE

No beating around the bush, no spiel, no sales-talk...

EXCEPTIONAL LOW COST VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS...FOR MARCH 2007

1 WEEK VOLUNTEER PROGRAM FOR $550 US DOLLARS (280 Great Britain Pounds 430 Euros)

2 WEEK VOLUNTEER PROGRAM FOR $715 US DOLLARS (362 Great Britain Pounds 552 Euros)

3 WEEK VOLUNTEER PROGRAM FOR $880 US DOLLARS (445 Great Britain Pounds 680 Euros)

4 WEEK VOLUNTEER PROGRAM FOR $1100 US DOLLARS (558 Great Britain Pounds 850 Euros)

The only condition(s) which apply to our MAD MARCH HARE OFFER are as follows:

1) Your volunteer program must be 1,2,3 or 4 weeks in duration.
2) The first day of your program must commence in March 2007.
3) We are capping the offer to 30 volunteer program places.

Go and check-it out! MAD MARCH HARE OFFER

New Project in The Amazon Rainforest.

Our Amazon project is deep in the western section of the rainforest, in the state of Acre.

Acre has the Bolivian border to the south, and the Peruvian border to the west.

Due to illegal logging and other devastating activities, 45% of the rainforest in Acre is protected by the Brazilian government, and the remaining 55% is very, very, closely monitored.

There are hundreds of plants, fauna and trees under threat of extinction, perhaps none more so than the Mogno tree, which, primarily, over the past 150 years has been illegally cut down and sold as the sought after, wood; mahogany.

The Mahogany was a much sought after commodity, particularly in the British and North American markets. It was ultimately this desire for mahogany, the once favored wood for furniture making (amongst many other traditions) which today threatens the species.

Our project then is to replant and protect the most endangered trees, plants and rainforest fauna. We do this by collecting seeds and fruits from endangered species, and replanting them in a nursery environment. The nursery stage is usually about 3 months in duration, after which the plants and seedlings are replanted in the Amazon Rainforest.

The project objective is to replant some 50,000 hectares per year, we are currently only managing 2000 hectares per year - less than 5% of target..……This is why volunteers are needed

More Information about your location.

Acre, lies in The Amazon Basin, and 93% of the state territory is covered with tropical rainforest. And despite the deforestation , Brazil, remains the most bio-diverse country on the planet (Indonesia is second).

Some of the trees are gigantic, such as the "sumauma" which can attain a height of 160 feet, or the water lily, named by a British Victorian explorer as "victoria regia" on account of the lily being ¨fit for a queen¨, spanning more than 6 feet across.

There are Brazil-nuts , copious amounts of exotic fruits, innumerable species of insect, birds of paradise, parrots, marine life, snakes, turtles, monkeys, jaguars, panthers and possibly other species waiting to be discovered.

Indigenous peoples of your location.

The known Indian peoples of the Amazon Basin, are divided into 6 linguistic groups:

Tupi, Karib, Tukano, Jê, Pano and Aruaque. However, there are also isolated groups who have little no contact with other groups. Notwithstanding, previously unknown indigenous Indian groups are sometimes discovered.

The first immigrants to the area

By the end of the 19th century the first wave of immigration took place, this was due primarily, to the European and North-American demand for rubber.

Rubber companies were set-up, called "Seringalistas" . The "Seringalistas" appropriated large areas of rain forest for rubber extraction (latex). The Amazon Indians tried in vain to resist, but their bow and arrows were no match for the guns of the rubber companies sponsored gunmen. The gun wielding "Correrias" were mostly bachelors, and usually killed only the male Indian, and taking the Indian women as wives. In addition to this , many of the Indians died from diseases such as tuberculosis and measles, hitherto unknown in the region.

The Indians were forced into labour, constructing roads and rubber-tapping.

The rubber boom brought great wealth to the Amazon cities of Belem and Manaus. However, this was to end, under dramatic and infamous circumstances.

Biopiracy is not new to Brazil, indeed the Portuguese colonizers were the first biopirates to set foot on Brazilian soil. However, the decline of the Brazilian rubber industry is infamously attributed to an Englishman; Henry Alexander Wickham, who in 1876 stole rubber tree seeds.

He was originally in negotiation with the Brazilian government to establish a rubber industry in the Amazon region. When the parties could not agree terms, Wickham hid the rubber seeds on his ship, stashed between banana leaves.

Ironically , Brazilian officials organized a farewell party for Wickham, and proceeded to give him a most generous send-off, not knowing of course, that he had hidden seeds on board his ship.

Wickham and his pirates sailed for the British colonies of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) and Malaysia and established the region as the worlds main latex production and exporters. Which devastated the Brazilian rubber-tapping industry.

Wickham was subsequently knighted by King George V, and loathed by Brazils rubber barons, who called him ¨the executioner of the Amazonas¨.


If you would like to volunteer on our Amazon Project, please contact us by either , clicking here:

http://volunteerbrazil.com/booknow.html

or by emailing us: alan@volunteerbrazil.com , mention, Wickham the rubber-tree pirate in your email, for 15% discount off the program cost.

BRAZIL

CARNAVAL

2007

Come and join us for the Worlds Greatest Party...
From Only US$500 / £250

The world famous Carnival of Olinda, in Brazil, is considered to be the most authentic, the most beautiful, and the most spontaneous of its kind.

And considering that over 1 million people take to the streets each day in this UNESCO World Heritage Town, it remains an amazing fact that the WORLDS GREATEST STREET CARNAVAL is not yet comercialised.

Olinda and Recife have many, many delights for the visitor, but the Olinda and Recife Carnavals deserve a very special mention. Of course Brazil is world renowned for its annual Carnaval events, but when Brazilians want to party, when they want to experience an authentic carnaval , they come to Olinda, and Recife

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Reserve Your Place FOR 2007

5 Nights - From 16th February to 20th February

(Carnaval Period is 16th - 20th February)

(Friday through Tuesday, you leave Wednesday morning)

Early Booking is Strongly Advised!

SEE YOU THERE!

CONTACT US:
TEL: 0055 81 32692793 (office)
(mobile) 0055 81 88798877
information@volunteerbrazil.com (e-mail)